Understanding Engels

Last semester I took a class called Employee & Labor Relations. We talked a lot about American unions in the early 20th century and these few pages from Mary Barton's Appendix C (Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England) reminded me a lot of what I learned.

Free Association: "the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests"

bourgeoisie: middle class

proletariat: lower working class

Goals of the Unions
1. to deal with the employers
2. "to regulate the rate of wages"
3. "to keep up the demand for labour by limiting the number of apprentices"
4. "to counteract, as far as possible, the indirect wages reductions which the manufacturers brought about"
5. "to assist unemployed working-men financially"

How the Employees handled their Employers
1. "a deputation is sent or a petition forwarded" [deputation: a group of representatives]
2. they go on strike

knobsticks: while the union workers are on strike, some workers (who may receive extra payment from employees, or may just not want to strike) will continue to work and not go on strike. They are parallel to the American union's "scabs"

Overall, it seems the author has a negative view of unions. However, the essay is not purely negative. The thing that I liked the most was how the author described the lower class toward the end of the essay. He writes "it is, in truth, no trifle for a working-man...to endure hunger and wretchedness for months together, and stand firm and unshaken through it all." He gives the lower class strength in his descriptions. He even writes, "...that they, as working men, a title of which they are proud..." I think despite all of the negativity towards unions throughout this essay, the description of the workers really stands out.



[Victorian Literature]

Official Catalogue

On an earlier post, I put up a link to a text version of the Catalogue of The Great Exhibition. Unfortunately, it was pretty difficult to comprehend because somehow it was lost in translation from print to computer text.

Have no fear! Elyse found a much better version on Google books! This version is actually a scanned copy of the catalogue and is very easy to read.

You may need to have a gmail account to access the book, but its all free.

Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations

Thank You!

[Victorian Literature]

Understanding Flint

In the article "Exhibiting America: The Native American and the Crystal Palace," Kate Flint seems to be exposing the ironies and symbolism behind the American exhibit in the Crystal Palace.

She briefly mentions a sculpture titled The Greek Slave. She also focuses a lot on the sculpture The Wounded Indian:

Chrysler Museum of Art

Flint writes that the statue "served to commemorate both the fall of an individual warrior and the demise of an entire race." I also think this statue (visually), however true at the time, has shaped today's preconceptions of Indians, especially the way they dress and act.

One thing that I found particularly interesting was the parallel of the exhibition space to the American land. Flint uses the term terra nulla which means "land belonging to no one." At this point, I believe Americans had yet to expand all the way to modern day California. There was a lot of land "undiscovered," at least by "civilized people." The exhibition space paralleled this "vastness." Apparently the United States asked for more space in the Crystal Palace than they could fill.

In order to fill the space the U.S. put sculptures of Native Americans: "the terra nulla of the East Aisle became a site for the exhibition of two Native figures, and thus acted as a further reminder that "imperial space" is rarely as vacant as it is presented by the imperialist."

Despite all of the negative connotations of the two statues, there were a few positive things that came from its exhibition:
          "influenced protest against white, imperialist greed"
          "drew connections between the exploitation of Indians and the cruelties of slavery"

:)



[Victorian Literature]

So Much Information!

Yet another great link provided by Dr. Peel! [Thank You!]

ENGL 5562: Victorian Literature

There are so many great categories of links on this site, which I've listed below. I think this will be really helpful, not only for our projects but also for understanding exactly who the authors of the Victorian era were.

Categories of Links:
Bibliographies for Victorian Studies
Writing, Documentation & Research Tools
Literary Background & Criticism
Electric Texts
Libraries, Archives & Museums
General Nineteenth Century Background
Victorian Geographies & Demographics
Science & Nature
Queen Victoria
Victorian Periodicals
Victorian Publishing & Print Culture
Photography & Cinema
Urban Lives
Crime & Punishment
Medicine & Psychology
Religion & Philosophy
Death & Mourning Customs
Spiritualism & "Pseudo-Science"
Working Lives
Industry & Technology
Women & the Domestic Sphere
Clothing & Fashion
Childhood & Children's Literature
Education
Individual Authors



[Victorian Literature]

Political Cartoons

I found some funny (?) political cartoons from Punch about the Great Exhibition:

John Leech Sketches

[Victorian Literature]

"Helpful Links" List

Since there are so many great links out there, I decided to put a list of helpful links on the sidebar (mainly the ones we've found, so we don't have to search through blog posts).

Check them out

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[Victorian Literature]

Tickets

Dr. Peel shared a link that has so much information and rare pictures!

The Crystal Palace

It also refers to a link that I've come across before, but is definitely worth sharing if you're interested in the architectural design of the palace:

The Crystal Palace (3-D Modeling)

After looking through the various links on this page, I have again come across something that I find extremely curious. On the main page, there is an additional link (#10) to a season ticket. What I'm interested in is the fact that it is a "lady's" ticket. I have stumbled across other tickets marked lady's and gentleman's and I'm wondering why there were two separate tickets.

Did they cost the same?
If not, which one cost more?
Why a price difference?
Did the tickets allow men/women to see different things or enter different places?

[the image below was found HERE]

***
[UPDATE]

After doing some research I found a difference between men and women season ticket pricing.

The Great Exhibition of the Industries of All Nations. London 1851. The First World's Fair

Men: 3 £ 3 Shilling ($15.75)
Women: 2 £ 2 Shilling ($10.50)


[Victorian Literature]

Understanding Gurney (& Eastlake)

A Palace for the People: The Crystal Palace and Consumer Culture in Victorian England by Peter Gurney outlines various view points of the Crystal Palace.

What I was especially interested in was the opening quotation from Elizabeth Eastlake, referring to Prometheus.

Prometheus: A Titan God, son of Themis, brother of Atlas, champion of mankind known for wily intelligence, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man (because he loved man)

In order to make sense of Eastlake's quote that "more than ever do we wonder at the quanitiy, not of fire, but of air, which this modern Prometheus has stolen from on high," I did a little research and found an article titled The Air we breathe: Capitalism & Mythology. I didn't read the entire article, but I focused on the section titled This is the Air. Here, the author, Jakub Jerzy Macewicz, basically states that air is something so natural to us (as humans) that we fail to notice it.

When I relate this idea to Eastlake's quote, I feel that, maybe, she is stating that the modern Prometheus is the Crystal Palace (and its contributors) and air is capitalism/consumerism. At the time of the Crystal Palace consumerism was just beginning. Consumerism (air) was not as natural as it is now. It is the Crystal Palace that set the working of capitalism into motion.

Just a thought.

What I got from the reading:

What was Brought to the Modern Era
capitalism
social division based on money
commercialization
mass advertising
un-censorship
new shopping habits

Negative Perspectives of the Crystal Palace
seductive
intellect dulling abilities
"renders the majority apathetic and easily duped"

[of course Gurney disagrees]
"This essay questions these rather condescending interpretations and argues instead for a more nuanced and complex reading of the relationship between a developing consumer culture and "the people" during the second half of the nineteenth century."

Uses for the Crystal Palace
consumption
pleasure
"hedonism"
music
exhibitions
overindulgence
education (? @ Sydenham)

Concepts Introduced
utopia
idealism
capitalism
consumerism
demand

[again this idea of utopia arises, just like in the queen's journal]

Other Names Used to Describe the Crystal Palace
Temple
Metropolis

Gurney's Main Points
1. This is the first (?) instance where the public, including lower class, has the ability to consume and "enjoy the benefits [of] free-trade"
2. "paternalistic attempt to moralize the market by regulating the consuming desires of the majority."

To his point #2, I definitely found a hint of morality throughout this essay. Eastlake says there was a "wonderment...of the vulgar," possibly referring to the nude statues or "stuffed natives." (?) It sort of appears that this was the first instance where other cultures could showcase their works...what is vulgar to one culture may be perfectly fine to another...could be the first example of cross-cultural understanding...possibly an unsheltering of England, shaping the future...because so many of us now believe that sheltering is "wrong." (?)

Not sure if that makes sense.

:)



[Victorian Literature]

The Victorian Web

Natasha shared this great link that has a lot of information about the Victorian era.

Here is the main page: The Victorian Web

Here is an internal link providing plenty of information on the Crystal Palace: The Crystal Palace, or Great Exhibition of 1851: An Overview

     -Categories Include:
          Designing & Building the Crystal Palace
          Artistic Relations & Effects
          Fine & Applied Arts Exhibited
          Technology
          After the Move to Sydenham
          Contemporary Responses
          Science & Technology
          Bibliography & Other Resources



[Victorian Literature]

Helpful Sites

I found this borderline (some deciphering required) great website that is a full text document of The Official Discriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition.

Full Text of Official Catalogue

The only problem with the text is it has been scanned from it's original version and directly converted to plain text, so it shows imperfections....

for example the word "shown," in the physical catalogue, may have been damaged so when it scans the computer reads it as "sliown."

However it could be a decent starting place if I "ctrl-f" (control-find) my topic.

For example, there are 21 hits on the word "dishes."

********************************************************************************

I also found this beautiful illustrated book describing the contents of the exhibition. Again, I recommend using ctrl-f to find useful excerpts.

The Crystal Palace and It's Contents

It had this picture: (might be something I look into)

********************************************************************************

Lastly, (for now) is an audio clip that explains what it would be like to enter the Crystal Palace. The first 4 minutes are beautiful to listen to, the last 2 minutes actually briefly mention a little bit from Gillooly's article, about the arrangement of the exhibits in relation to geography.

Listen

(I found this clip from "Learning Victorians")


[Victorian Literature]

The "Counternarrative" - Understanding Gillooly

I just finished reading "Rhetorical Remedies for Taxonomic Troubles: Reading the Great Exhibition" by Eileen Gillooly.

She seems to be stating that if someone analyzes the Great Exhibition texts (especially those written by British writers) one will see negative underlying themes that are present ("competition, fear, denial, envy, and revenge")... although I have to admit I had difficulties understanding the text.

Trope: language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense

Apprehend: to become or be conscious by the senses of (any external impression). [OED Def. #6]

Comprehend: to lay hold of all the points of (any thing) and include them within the compass of a description or expression; to embrace or describe summarily; summarize; sum up. [OED Def. #6]

Key Points:
Classification of the exhibition.
Clarification between comprehend & apprehend.
Tropes are important.
Analogies allow a speaker/author to make parallels on a subject matter of thought (?).
Analyze rhetoric to understand Britain's "counternarrative".

Argument:
Because there was no classifying system, analogies (tropes) became the best means for apprehending The Great Exhibition.

"In the absence of a scientific, inductive, comprehensive classificatory system ... analogy as a mode of reasoning became by default the most effective means of knowing, of apprehending, the Great Exhibition"

...not only is she referring to those who attended the Crystal Palace, and made comparisons between their land and Britain, she is also referring to modern readers. It's as if she is telling us to analyze the texts that were written for the Exhibition (as an experience) and there we will find underlying "issues" Britain faced.

"occupying the entire western half of the Crystal Palace were Britain and it's colonies"

The author also draws a parallel between how the British chose to arrange the exhibitions and their social status in the world. The author [basically] says that the British took up the space they wanted and gave all of what was left over to the other countries, which is what the author believes was happening globally at the time of the Great Exhibition. I guess this would mean the Great Exhibition (following the logic of the author) is in itself a metaphor for England's global expansion.

Not only does it seem that she is comparing the exhibition to the global world, she also compares it to a sentence.

Object:Exhibition :: Word:Sentence.

Rhetorical Devices
Tropes
Analogy
Personification
Repetition
Synecdoche (a part for the whole)
Antithesis (exact opposite)
Irony (ridicule, subtlety)
Aposiopesis (breaking off in the middle of sentence)



I agree. After reading the past two texts I was definitely able to detect hints of competition in the queen's voice and deduct possible hidden intentions of those who set up the Great Exhibition.


[Victorian Literature]

Virtual Tour

Desperate to see what the inside of the Crystal Palace looked like, I found this youtube video that offers a virtual tour of a computer generated crystal palace. The tour takes you inside the crystal palace as it would have looked in 1851 before any of the exhibits were actually put in place, and with no people to obstruct the view. Even though it's just the glass, metal, and trees it's still really beautiful.

I feel like any pictures we may see of the outside of the building really don't do the inside justice. The queen described the building as "fairy-like" and I think this helps to really understand exactly where she came up with that term.

Crystal Palace de Joseph Paxton. Recreación en 3D



[Victorian Literature]

The American (London?) Dream

More than once I have taken a class, whether it be in literature or business, which references the weird looming idea of "The American Dream," a concept I have come to question in the past few years.

When reading from the queen's journal, I found a passage that reminded me of this concept.

          "Messrs. Dilke, Paxton (for whom this is indeed an immense, though
          deserved  distinction,  and  very  striking as  to the possibility of the
          lowest  being  able, by their  own merits, to rise to the highest grade
          of society, - he was only a gardener's boy)" (25)

Not only does the queen's curiosity of the idea pose a question, the idea that (and I don't know this for sure) this could be a turning point for defying class standards also raises interest.

While I don't know much about London at that time, or how important class structure was, this period seems like a turning point, especially where class is concerned. The train is beginning to make travel easier. If lower class citizens can travel into the big cities, then they definitely have the ability to "live the American dream."

I did a little research on the term "The American Dream" and found that James Truslow Adams coined the phrase in his 1931 book The Epic of America. While it's just a phrase, it's a phrase that took over American culture...but why not England? Clearly this dream can be fulfilled in other countries and before 1931...


[Victorian Literature]

The Queen's Comments

It is very interesting what the Great Exhibition did for marketing and globalization. It may have even shaped the way competition and capitalism is addressed.

competitive

Granted, there has always been competition among the human race, however it is evident in the queen's journal that there is an underlying competitive nature throughout the exhibition.

The queen writes "...and many things fit to compete with the French" (20) and "...gold brocades from Moscow, which beat the French" (21).

Maybe the queen is just obsessed with beating the French. ?

The queen also writes, curiously, "some of the inventions were very ingenious, many of them quite Utopian" (22). I'm not sure what's up with that. I'm guessing most of the inventions that were exhibited in the Crystal Palace were inventions that we now have today, however I can't figure out which ones she would consider "Utopian."

Another interesting, yet hardly surprising, part of the queen's journal is her love for Albert. She constantly calls him "my beloved." I actually feel like she is trying to brag about him. She writes, "...for the greater part of which they have to thank my beloved husband" (22). From my understanding, Albert was not readily welcomed into England when he first married the queen. After the great success of the exhibition, I think things changed and the people of England began to respect and love Albert. It seems the queen is just making sure everyone knows that he was the reason this all came into play.

Interesting Fact
The Hope Diamond was exhibited at the Crystal Palace.



[Victorian Literature]

Descriptions

As I read "Extracts from the Queen's Journal" from C.H. Gibbs-Smith's The Great Exhibition of 1851: A Commemorative Album I feel that I should take note of how the queen is describing the crystal palace, how she feels about the palace, and how she describes the exhibitions.

Descriptions of the Crystal Palace
Fairy-Like
Light
Graceful
Fairyland
Charming
Wonderful Spectacle
Magic
Impressive
Vast
Peace Festival
Unequalled

Descriptions of the Queen's Feelings
Proud
Happy
Thankful
Moved


Descriptions of the Exhibitions
Interesting
Entertaining
Beautiful
Wonderful
Dazzling
Exquisite
Splendid
Lovely
Fine
Enlightening
Magnificent
Pretty
Admirable
Satisfactory




[Victorian Literature]

Curiosity

Until now, Victorian Literature and the Crystal palace has been a hidden treasure to me. Before the start of class I had to "google" what the Crystal Palace was. I thought maybe it was the metaphorical name of some sort of literary movement, however it actually was a physical place in London.

A Brief Learned History

1.Located in Hyde Park, London
2.Made of almost all glass
3.Housed The Great Exhibition of 1851
4.Was torn down and moved, later caught fire

My curiosity has also brought me to research its specific contents and specific location.

I found this picture at: Plan of The Crystal Palace

I also found a great map of the London area at the time on London 1851

Here is a close up of the actual location of The Great Exhibition/Crystal Palace.

[Victorian Literature]

Introduction

I'm currently taking a class titled The Crystal Palace and Victorian Literature. It's English 495, my senior seminar for my English B.A.

We are focusing our discussions around The Great Exhibition of 1851.

Throughout the course we will be reading:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
And other various articles and excerpts from my professor's collection

The picture I used for my header was found on this blog post: Unusual Historicals



[Victorian Literature]